AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, June 14, 2004
Staff Medical Writers

According to the group, HIV has had a dramatic impact on the African American community. African Americans, who make up 12% of the U.S. population, account for more than 50% of new infections. In addition, women now account for an estimated 30% of all new HIV infections and represent an increasing number of AIDS cases, as well.

African American women, in particular, are greatly affected by the epidemic. In 2002, black women in accounted for an estimated 64% of all new HIV cases among American women. Compared to the HIV case rate for white women, the rate of infection in 2001 for black women was 20 times higher.

In the United States, nearly 950,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS, and an estimated 40,000 people contract the virus each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Worldwide, approximately 40 million people are estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS, with approximately half of all cases occurring among women.

The support of African American women is essential. In a statement, Lorraine Cole, PhD, president and CEO of the Black Women's Health Imperative, noted that just 20 years ago, HIV was viewed as a disease of gay, white males. Since that time, there has been a precipitous drop in the incidence of HIV and AIDS in that population while at the same time there has been a dramatic shift of the burden of the disease to black women."

Cole said, "The same level of activism for the prevention of HIV that we have seen for other groups in the past 2 decades needs to be placed on the prevention of HIV among African Americans; particularly among black women. That's why the Black Women's Health Imperative has joined the national campaign to increase awareness about the promise of an HIV vaccine."

More than 12,000 people have already volunteered for HIV vaccine studies, and currently there are more than 20 promising HIV vaccines in various stages of testing. However, a large-scale HIV vaccine trial will require thousands more participants of all races and ethnicities, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds to ensure that the vaccine is effective among all groups. Real progress requires that we work to break down stigma and dispel the myths about HIV vaccine research, the Black Women's Health Imperative says.

Developing an HIV vaccine depends upon individuals and communities informing and supporting each other and promoting a vision of the world without HIV/AIDS.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

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